Windows 10: Updated BIOS and lost windows activation. Can't contact Microsoft support either.

I updated my motherboard BIOS and on start-up, I noticed Windows is no longer activated. I tried the troubleshooter which claims 'Something prevented us from contacting our servers'. I then click 'I recently changed hardware on this device', click the device I'm using, and click activate but get a message that 'We can’t activate your copy of Windows because the digital licence for this device has already been used to reactivate Windows.' This isn't true, I installed Windows once with this key when I bought it and haven't changed any hardware or anything since. I bought licence and installed it

:)

 

Microsoft Botches Up UEFI Support for Windows 7 on ASUS Motherboards



Microsoft suggests updating to Windows 10 to patch Windows 7

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• Chris Merriman
• 
  @ChrisTheDJ
• 05 May 2016

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9 Comments

MICROSOFT HAS confirmed a potentially lappy-borking problem that it won't be fixing, because Windows 7.

Woody Leonhard, the respected Windows columnist, points to a problem involving Asus motherboards, which also appear rebadged in a variety of other manufacturers' machines, and the activation of UEFI Secure Boot for Windows 7 in a patch KB3133977.

Short version: install update, welcome to Borksville, population you.

Both Asus and Microsoft acknowledged the problem. Microsoft entitled the article "BitLocker can't encrypt drives because of service crashes in svchost.exe process in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2", but we prefer to just call it "Trevor for brevity."

The firm's advice was that it's an optional update, leave well alone, you'll be fine, or alternatively turn secure boot off.

Then Microsoft did a silly, silly thing.

It moved the update from 'optional' to 'recommended' and anyone who reads this site regularly will know what happens when Microsoft does this. That's right boys and girls - it makes it automatically install, unless you've specifically told your machine not to.

So now, if you have one of the affected motherboard and you keep your security updates automatic like wot Microsoft recommends, then your machine will stop working properly.

We should add it's not permanently bricked, but it will take some mucking about in the BIOS to fix and that's a pain even for an experienced computer user.

Microsoft has, by offering a workaround, suggested heavily that it won't be fixing the problem, though we have asked the question, so expect a response in about a fortnight.

But the real kicker is this piece of advice: "Note The Secure Boot feature is supported in Windows 10. To learn more about the security advantages of this feature and about the upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 10, go to the following Windows website"

Holy toledo, this company really knows how to rub people up the wrong way.

After all - if the advice is to manually avoid the update or move to a version of the operating system where there's virtually no control over updates, then Microsoft is dealing in massive contradictions.

A more cynical site would suggest that it's yet another example of Microsoft running Windows 7 into the ground and adding built in obsolescence to encourage quicker updates. But we're not that sort of site.

Its the patching to force secure boot that is the problem win 7 does not support secure boot
hence it borks systems and well microsofts answer is Cactus >your Asshole > insert

from the inquirer

 

Microsoft to Revamp Activation System with Windows 9

So... Lost an account - lost everything, huh? Don't like this system much, but I can't really blame Microsoft for doing that as long as it's the most popular way of handling "protected" stuff (Steam is a "good" example).
There are even few advantages:

• An access to updated and "personalized" ISOs (for example, purchasing Windows 8 will give you Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update when they come out). No need to struggle with Windows ADK anymore.
• Easy way of "unbinding" your license if you don't need it on your current (running) system and wish to install it on another machine.

 

Windows updates won't install!

I had the same problem when i repaired my O/S, i forgot the steps on how to fixed it, but it is in the microsoft support forum.

You have to reinstall the windows updater, then restart the updating service.

edit: Found it...http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144